OC Dowell Loggains shares what goes into making decisions at running back
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Ranked third to last in the country in rushing yards per game, there’s no secret that South Carolina’s run game has been disappointing.
While it’s easy from the outside looking in to say just throw in player X, Y, Z, on Wednesday Gamecocks offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains shared what goes into those decisions at running back.
“We trust (Dakereon Joyner),” said Loggains. “We trust DK in knowing the whole system. The pass protections, being able to flex out and run routes, (and) being able to run the football. It’s not just a trust factor from the coaches, he’s demonstrated that he can do it and that he can mentally figure those things out.”
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Last week against Georgia, Mario Anderson saw 16 snaps at running back but only touched the ball twice. Shane Beamer explained on Tuesday that some of that had to do with RPO (run, pass, option) calls.
“We had a lot of called runs on Saturday (against Georgia) that were RPO’s meaning if the box isn’t favorable for us to hand the ball off we’re not gonna hand it off and we’re gonna throw it,” explained Beamer. “First play of the game with Luke (Doty) on Saturday, that was a called run that just with the look (Georgia’s defense) gave us, we’re gonna throw it every time.”
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That first offensive play for South Carolina resulted in a a five-yard gain.
“Mario has demonstrated the ability to create some stuff for us in the run game,” said Loggains. “That’s why he’s playing for us a little bit more. If he continues to do those things he’ll continue to play more.”
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Through three games, Anderson has rushed for 41 yards on eight carries and has seen an increase in snaps each game.
“Coaches are gonna play the best players because our jobs are on the line and we depend on having the best players out there,” added Loggains. “So (what) the players can count on is whoever has the best week of practice and whoever is trending in the right direction will play. If someone is not playing there’s something not going on where either a player isn’t meeting the expectations of a coach or a player’s expectations of themself isn’t high enough.”
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As Loggains mentioned, they trust Joyner with his pass protection as he’s played a major role in helping the Gamecocks being ranked eighth best in the country in passing offense. Joyner has also rushed for a touchdown in each of the teams’s first three games.
The point is, while Anderson is on the verge of likely seeing an increase to his workload, I still expect to see Joyner playing a crucial role at running back for South Carolina.
